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Abstract
Psychomotor retardation is a frequently observed clinical feature of depressive states.
This study attempted to assess the relationship between response slowness and central
nervous system (CNS) activity by examining cortical evoked potentials (EPs) during
psychomotor task performance. Patients consisted of 21 women who met Research Diagnostic
Criteria (RDC) and exhibited a minimum Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression score
of 18 at the end of a drug washout period, the scheduled time of testing. The same
number of normal women with no history of psychiatric illness were employed as controls.
Cortical EPs from Cz and integrated electromyogram (EMG) from the dominant forearm
extensor were recorded and time-locked to warning and imperative stimuli of a standard,
two-choice, fixed foreperiod reaction time (RT) task, which yielded behavioral measures
of decision time (DT) and movement time (MT). Analysis focused on behavioral RTs,
latency and amplitudes of EMG, sensory and slow cortical (CNV) EPs, and measures of
input time (IPT), central processing time (CPT), and motor execution time (MET), derived
from combinations of EP and EMG peak latencies. Patients exhibited slower DT and MT
response times, delayed EMG latencies, and attenuated EP amplitudes. The derived CPT
measure was also significantly longer in patients. These findings support the view
that a central dysfunction is implicated in psychomotor retardation, and the results
are discussed in relation to information processing theory.
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Article info
Publication history
Received in revised form:
July 7,
1986
Received:
April 17,
1985
The authors wish to thank Debbie Smith and Cathy Bailey for their assistance in data collection and analysis.Identification
Copyright
© 1987 Published by Elsevier Inc.
